As if greenhouse gasses that cause climate change weren’t bad enough, scientists have discovered a new category of uncontrolled chemicals that are depleting the ozone layer and affecting the Earth’s climate. Phys.org reports that a new study recently publishing in the journal Nature Geoscience reveals chemicals not controlled by a United Nations treaty, known as ‘very short-lived substances’ (VSLS), are leading to further depletion of the ozone layer.

]]>http://inhabitat.com/scientists-identify-a-new-chemical-contributing-to-global-warming/feed/0The Ozone Hole Above Antarctica is as Big as North Americahttp://inhabitat.com/the-ozone-hole-above-antarctica-is-as-big-as-north-america/
http://inhabitat.com/the-ozone-hole-above-antarctica-is-as-big-as-north-america/#commentsWed, 05 Nov 2014 22:20:23 +0000http://inhabitat.com/?p=701189Data from NASA shows that this year's hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica remains largely unchanged. On September 9, 2014, it measured 24.1m square km, which is roughly the size of North America; only a little smaller than the largest hole ever observed,]]>

Data from NASA shows that this year’s hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica remains largely unchanged. On September 9, 2014, it measured 24.1m square km, which is roughly the size of North America; only a little smaller than the largest hole ever observed, which occurred in the same spot in 2000, and much the same as it was at its peak in 2010, 2012 and 2013.

]]>http://inhabitat.com/the-ozone-hole-above-antarctica-is-as-big-as-north-america/feed/0The Earth’s Ozone Layer Increases for the First Time in 35 Yearshttp://inhabitat.com/the-earths-ozone-layer-increases-for-the-first-time-in-35-years/
http://inhabitat.com/the-earths-ozone-layer-increases-for-the-first-time-in-35-years/#commentsFri, 12 Sep 2014 21:08:45 +0000http://inhabitat.com/?p=687606Good news, everyone - a new United Nations report shows that the Earth's ozone layer has increased for the first time in 35 years. The report credits the recovery in part to the phasing out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) following the Montreal Protocol on Substances]]>

Good news, everyone – a new United Nations report shows that the Earth’s ozone layer has increased for the first time in 35 years. The report credits the recovery in part to the phasing out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) following the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987. Scientists discovered that the ozone layer was thinning above Antarctica in the 1970s, damaging crops and putting people at risk for skin cancer from harmful ultraviolet rays.

]]>http://inhabitat.com/the-earths-ozone-layer-increases-for-the-first-time-in-35-years/feed/1Harvard Study Find Strong Summer Storms Could Damage Ozone Layer Over UShttp://inhabitat.com/harvard-study-find-strong-summer-storms-could-damage-ozone-layer-over-us/
http://inhabitat.com/harvard-study-find-strong-summer-storms-could-damage-ozone-layer-over-us/#commentsFri, 27 Jul 2012 15:20:56 +0000http://inhabitat.com/?p=416198Cyclone Photo from Shutterstock
Even though large areas of the US are experiencing extreme drought conditions, aggressive summer thunderstorms have also swept across parts of the nation - and according to a team of scientists at Harvard University, those]]>Cyclone Photo from Shutterstock

Even though large areas of the US are experiencing extreme drought conditions, aggressive summer thunderstorms have also swept across parts of the nation – and according to a team of scientists at Harvard University, those storms may be damaging the ozone layer. The Harvard scientists believe that rising levels of carbon dioxide and methane may be increasing the severity of these storms, and they may have found the first significant connection between climate change and ozone layer destruction.

]]>http://inhabitat.com/harvard-study-find-strong-summer-storms-could-damage-ozone-layer-over-us/feed/0Are Air Conditioning Units A Climate Change Catch-22?http://inhabitat.com/are-air-conditioning-units-a-climate-change-catch-22/
http://inhabitat.com/are-air-conditioning-units-a-climate-change-catch-22/#commentsThu, 21 Jun 2012 17:40:08 +0000http://inhabitat.com/?p=402408Air Conditioning Units Photo from Shutterstock
In countries such as India and China, where the summers can get particularly hot, a rapidly growing middle class has seen sales of air-conditioning units grow by an enormous 20% each year. However a team of]]>Air Conditioning Units Photo from Shutterstock

In countries such as India and China, where the summers can get particularly hot, a rapidly growing middle class has seen sales of air-conditioning units grow by an enormous 20% each year. However a team of scientists from organizations which include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the United Nations has calculated that the new cooling units entering the world market could be responsible for up to 27% of all global warming by 2050. In what is a bitter twist of irony, it seems that in order to keep cool on an ever-warming planet, we might just be making things worse.